Better Painting with Watercolor Sketches: Questions & Answers

My online watercolour class on Craftsy launched on February 15, 2016 and the past few weeks have been fun and exciting as I check in to the instructor site every day to answer questions, comment on student projects and most importantly, watch the class enrollment ticker climb a little higher every day. 751 students have enrolled in the first 3 weeks and that's just a thrill to see my watercolour network expand!

The course is so full of content, I find that it's best to watch it in short chunks - one lesson at a time so you can digest the information slowly. There's a 30 second repeat button that you can make use of to rewind a short section and rewatch at important points. As I filmed the course at Craftsy's studios, I kept having "flashbacks"; moments of remembering how it felt when I learned that technique for the first time, and how exciting that "light bulb moment" was for me. I have every expectation that the course will be full of light bulb moments for you too!

We chose the topic "Watercolour Sketches" because I think as artists we have a tendency to get really serious about painting, to our detriment. When I approach a blank sheet of paper and think, "I'm going to paint a painting, and it's going to be wonderful! I'll hang it in a gallery and it will win awards and sell for lots of money," what happens is that my expectations kill that painting. I can't paint a masterpiece under that kind of pressure, and certainly not without spending some time building up to my big painting by working out all the issues with a series of sketches. And the sketch process has become my way of playing with watercolour, loosening up and learning without feeling like I'm working or studying. These focused sketches have helped me grow as an artist, have fun, and discover my personal style, and there are always a few surprises along the way! I love teaching this method because it's so much fun and takes all the pressure off of making a masterpiece out of every sheet of paper. You can learn a lot through play!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Does your Craftsy class mean you won't be doing new courses on your site?

Not at all! I have so many ideas for new courses and the Craftsy course was simply an opportunity to work with professionals and reach a wider market. I learned a lot from my Craftsy experience that I will apply to my future classes, so it's a win-win!

Is there a time limit on the courses, or do I have to log in at a certain time to watch the course?

No and no! You get lifetime access and can watch the course videos any time you want, as many times as you want.

I am enrolled in one or more of your other courses. Will I get anything useful out of the Craftsy course?

I like to think of all my courses as supporting each other. While you will hear some tips repeated across my courses (they are just so important!), I am always growing and changing as an artist and instructor, so the content I offer is always changing and growing as well.

I am a beginning painter. Is this course for me?

Absolutely! I think both beginning and intermediate artists can learn and grow through the course content. Beginning artists will gain many useful technique tips, while intermediate artists will spend more time focusing on the processes used in developing paintings. There is content here for any stage of your watercolour journey.